Image statement printing system with document storage/retrieval using optical media

Abstract

A storage/retrieval system providing a two month digital data accumulation in archival storage and a one month digital data accumulation storage (for monthly statements) of document images and information. A Master Print Index File correlates data on each document with its digital counterpart located on a specific optical platter and specific record number on the platter. The Master Print Index File is sorted and provided to a print subsystem which can access, on a daily basis, the needed digital image data from its magnetic disk after the magnetic disk has copied the current cycle of image data from the optical platters.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a document image capture and storage system, which transforms original bank check documents into digital document image data items, an archival storage, retrieval and printing subsystem comprising: (a) archival storage means for storage of said digital document image data items captured over a 2 month period;   (b) retrieval means for retrieval of 2 months accumulation of said image data items of said stored digital document image data items;   (c) temporary storage means for temporary storage of one (1) days accumulation of said items;   (d) sorting means for organizing said one days accumulation into a sequentially ordered file;   (e) printing means for printing copies, on a daily basis, of said digital document image data items in said sequentially ordered file.   
     
     
       2. The subsystem of claim 1 wherein said archival storage means includes: (a) optical drive and platter means for 2 months storage of said digital image data items;   (b) archival server means for transmitting said digital image data items to said optical drive and platter means and also for receiving selected digital image data items retrieved from said platter means for transmittal to a print server means.   
     
     
       3. In a document processing system for capturing 2N days of bank checks where N is a monthly cycle of business days, and storing digital images of bank checks being processed, and for retrieving and printing out copies of selected documents, a method of organizing digital data and printing out humanly recognizable bank statements summarizing an N day period, comprising the steps of: (a) converting captured bank checks into digital image data items;   (b) storing said digital image data items covering a 2N day period on optical platters in a jukebox unit at selected platter numbers and record numbers;   (c) storing, in an archive server means, locational data of said optical platter number and record number for each said digital image data item for an N day period to form an Archive Server Index File;   (d) storing information-and-identification indicia, having fields for (i) capture date of bank check; (ii) customer account number; (iii) check number; (iv) amount of check; for each bank check captured, to form an Initial Index File;   (e) merging said Initial Index File with said Archive Server Index File to form a Master Print Index File which correlates the location of each digital image data item with its information-and-identification indicia; (e1) accumulating data into said Master Print Index File over said N period of days for said archival server means;   (e2) copying said N day period of said Master Print Index File into a print-server means;     (f) sorting said Master Print Index File to develop a Sequential-list Index File in a print-server based on said customer account number and check number indicia of each said digital image data items;   (g) printing out monthly cycle customer account statements and humanly recognizable copies of captured bank checks for each one of multiple numbers (M) of bank customers where M is on the order of thousands of customers.   
     
     
       4. A storage/retrieval and printout system holding data items covering a 2N day period where N represents a monthly business period of N days, said system for capturing digital images of original bank checks having identification indicia of capture date, customer account number, check number and fiscal amount of check, the combination comprising: (a) first means for converting images of said original bank checks into digital image data items;   (b) second means for optical platter storage of each of said digital image data items at a specific platter number and record number location to provide location-data for bank checks covering a 2N day period;   (c) third means for correlating said identification-indicia of each digital image data item with its location-data to form a Master Print Index File for an N day period;   (d) fourth means for sorting and storing said Master Print Index File in a numerical sequence using said customer account number in said document identification indicia;   (e) fifth means for printing copies of said original bank checks and customer monthly account statements of said sorted numerical sequence of said Master Print Index File, said fifth means including: e1) means for printing out said customer monthly account statements on a daily basis over N days such that each days output is 1/N customer statements completed and the N day period will complete one monthly statement for each customer.     
     
     
       5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said second means includes: (a) jukebox means having multiple optical platters for storage of said digital image data items.   
     
     
       6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said jukebox means includes: (a) first drive means for storing said digital image data items on said optical platters;   (b) second drive means for retrieving said digital image data items from said optical platters.   
     
     
       7. The combination of claim 4 wherein said fourth means includes: (a) print server means for developing a sequentially sorted Print Index File holding a fractional portion of 1/22 of the total digital image data items accumulated over a 22-day work period.   
     
     
       8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said print server means includes: (a) print server magnetic disk means for temporary storage of said fractional portion of digital image data items.   
     
     
       9. The combination of claim 4 wherein said third means includes: (a) correlation means including: (a1) system disk means for storing an Initial Index File of identification indicia for each captured bank check;   (a2) an Archive Server File which holds the platter number-record number location for each digital image data item stored in said optical platters;   (a3) merging means to combine said Initial Index File with said Archive Server File to develop a Master Print Index File, for transfer to said fourth means.     
     
     
       10. A storage/retrieval and statement printout system for bank check document digital image data items storing 2 months of such data an optical platter media holding "2M" digital image data items where M represents a month's accumulation of data items, said system comprising: (a) system magnetic disk means for storing information-and-identification-data associated with each check document processed, to form an Initial Index File; (a1) optical jukebox platter means for storing said 2M data items representing a two month period of customers bank checks processed by a bank or financial institution;     (b) archive server means for maintaining location-data, in an Archive Server Index File, which specifies the optical platter number and record number of each check document's digital image data items' location, for an accumulated M items covering a single month period, said archive server means including: (b1) merger means for correlating said Initial Index File and said Archive Server Index File into a Master Print Index File of M data items;   (b2) means to transfer on a daily basis, said Master Print Index File to a print server means;     (c) said print server means for temporarily storing one days portion of said Master Print Index File and including: (c1) sorting means for sequentially listing said Master Print Index File into a Numerical Sequence Index File;   (c2) retrieval means for storing one days portion, M/N of said check document digital image data items in the sequential listing order of said Numerical Sequence Index File where M/N is a single day printout portion of the total M number of check document digital image item stored on said optical platter means, and N is the number of business days in a month;   (c3) print means for printing humanly readable copies of said bank document digital image data items in said Numerical Sequence Index File to provide a daily printout of M/N customer bank statements.